Jeff Passan predicts new-look MLB Home Run Derby is ‘gonna stink’

If you’re going to watch the MLB Home Run Derby on Netflix Monday night, you’re probably not doing it because of a sales pitch from Jeff Passan.

For the first time since 1994, the Home Run Derby won’t be on ESPN, and for the first time since 2014, the new-look Derby won’t feature a swing clock. Instead, each participant will be allotted 20 swings in the first round and 15 in each round after.

But as Netflix prepares to host its first-ever MLB Home Run Derby, Passan was on ESPN tempering expectations. On Monday morning’s First Take, Passan was asked whether he thought the changes to this season’s Home Run Derby were a good idea, and the MLB insider didn’t hold back.

“I think it’s gonna stink” – Jeff Passan on Netflix’s new MLB Home Run Derby format pic.twitter.com/3cz9B7hhRX

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 13, 2026

“I think it’s gonna stink,” Passan bluntly stated. “Genuinely, I’m worried about that. Because the whole reason that the timer came in in the first place, is because it felt really slow. The timer brought urgency, and the timer brought a countdown and an end. And we’re just gonna see tonight, time between pitches, it’s gonna grind a little bit.”

Passan can be this blunt and honest about the Home Run Derby now that it’s not on ESPN. Obviously, he wouldn’t have been that critical of the format if ESPN were still set to host the Derby. But while Netflix’s version of the Derby might not boast a format that excites Passan, he did at least note their exciting cast of participants featuring Junior Caminero, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

“Luminaries who can hit the ball 500 feet.”

And the new format should allow for more of those 500-foot homers that fans crave. With hitters able to take time between swings, participants won’t reach the level of exhaustion they endured during the swing clock era of the Derby. According to The Athletic, Netflix ultimately decided to eliminate the swing clock after seeking feedback from the league and players on how to improve the Derby when they assumed control of broadcasting the event from ESPN. Players will likely welcome the new format, as will many fans.

The swing clock created some excitement when it was first introduced, but it also created more confusion in recent years. ESPN struggled to track homers and couldn’t always keep up with the rapid rate at which pitchers were throwing and hitters were swinging. MLB has been praised for speeding up its product in recent years, but the Derby may have gotten too fast.